Roskilde Fjord
The Fjord connection
New bridge to ease traffic flow
The fjord connection is an almost 10-kilometre-long four-lane expressway south of Frederikssund. Almost 1.4 kilometres consists of Crown Princess Mary’s Bridge – Denmark’s new high bridge connecting Marbæk and Tørslev Hage across Roskilde Fjord.
The new fjord connection will greatly relieve local traffic arteries and the existing Crown Prince Frederik’s Bridge, which has been heavily congested to date. The project will thus improve the traffic flow for thousands of citizens in the area every day.
- Location
- Roskilde Fjord
- Status
- Realised, 2019
- Developer
- The Danish Road Directorate
- Area
- Approx. 10 km four-lane expressway
- Services
- : Infrastructure for onshore structures, environment, geotechnical studies, foundations, mechanical and electrical installations for the high bridge.
- Advisory role
- Consultant to turnkey contractor
- Samarbejdspartnere
- Rizzani de Eccher, Besix, Acciona Infraestructuras (RBAI JV), Barslund, MJ Ericsson og SHP
- Contract form
- Turnkey contractor
Considerations for the environment and people
Sweco has designed the infrastructure for the project, including a number of structures on land, such as smaller bridges, underpasses and fauna passages. Sweco has also been responsible for the foundations for the high bridge, and the mechanical and electrical installations for Crown Princess Mary’s Bridge.
The new fjord connection crosses a protected nature area identified as a Natura 2000 area. Natura 2000 is the designation for a number of protected nature areas in the EU that are habitats for rare, endangered or characteristic animal and plant species. The construction of the new road connection has therefore been carried out with special care for the local environment, which has been protected throughout the project. For example, Roskilde Fjord contains eelgrass, and the seabed in the fjord has therefore been restored to protect and preserve the fjord’s biodiversity.
The project has also taken the local population and businesses into consideration. For example, solutions have been implemented to inhibit noise and dust generation both during and after construction.
Safe traffic for all road users
Following the opening of the new high bridge, road users in the area can now choose between two bridges when crossing Roskilde Fjord. The new bridge connection will thus relieve strain on the existing Crown Prince Frederik’s Bridge, which has been heavily congested by cars, trucks, cyclists and pedestrians to date. In future, heavy vehicles will have to use the new four-lane expressway, and this change will result in safer travel over Crown Prince Frederik’s Bridge for all road users.
In addition to moving the heavy traffic, it is expected that opening the new bridge will reduce the load on Crown Prince Frederik’s Bridge by up to 6,000 vehicles a day compared to 2018, when around 22,000 cars crossed Roskilde Fjord every day.
